Heart of Fire Soul of Light
by The One True Koneko
Summary: A young Ranger and her partner set out to discover the truth behind the Searing and an ancient Charr prophecy. What they discover will shake the foundations of everything she's ever known. Set in Prophecies and Eye of the North.
1. Spark of Firelight

Heart of Fire, Soul of Light

By The One True Koneko

Prologue: Spark of Firelight

Thomas Saberlin walked closely behind his now ten-year-old daughter Kia. It was her tenth birthday and he wanted it to be something special. "Don't stray to far now, Kia," he said as they neared Ashford.

"Don't worry Papa, I won't," the girl said, darting across the bridge. Several Skale looked at the child quizzically before returning to the task of catching fish. Kia ran down to the river's edge and stuck her bare feet into the chilled water. "Ah! Cold feet!" she squealed, running back to her father.

Tom smiled and took Kia's hand, leading her to his friend, Pitney. "Hey Pitney, do you have the present for Kia?"

The man smiled underneath his ragged straw hat. "Yep, I've got the perfect little surprise for her." The three went to the back of Pitney's house, where the peeping of hungry Strider chicks caught their ears. "They're hungry again? I'll tell you Tom; these little guys eat more that horses…"

Tom laughed as Pitney grabbed a bag of feed and dumped it into the small pen. Kia peered into it, staring at the pinkish-red balls of fluff. "I get one, Papa?" she asked, touching the nearest one.

"Yes you do, Kia; you get to name it too," he said as his daughter lifted a chick out of the pen. It struggled in her arms, trying to reach the food that was still on the ground.

Kia smiled as her chosen chick calmed down in her hands. "I want this one. Is it a boy or a girl, Mister Pitney?"

Pitney took the chick and checked it. "This one here… is a female!" he exclaimed, holding the chirping Strider chick high above his head before giving her to Kia.

Kia giggled. "I'll name her Rosie!" she said, spinning around on her toes as Rosie cheeped in delight.

"Happy birthday sweetheart," her father said, hugging his little girl.

The cake for her party was in Ascalon City so they headed there next. Pitney had held onto Rosie because pets were not allowed in the city. Once there, they saw a huge crowd of people at the front gates. "Kia, let's avoid the crowds, shall we?" Tom said, taking her hand as they headed towards the baker's shop.

As they neared the shop, Thomas noticed the sign on the door. "He's out? That's odd… I could have sworn that he said he'd be in right now…" Suddenly, a piteous, animal-like roar rose from the center of the crowd. Tom whirled around, just in time to see its source.

In the center of the raging mass of people, an adolescent Charr was chained to a wooden post. His cry was cut short by one of the guards, who took a wooden club and hit him in the chest. This triggered a hail of rocks and garbage at the Charr. A few "braver" members of the crowd would run up and hit him with various objects. The Charr cringed beneath their blows, huddling into a tightly packed ball of rust-colored fur.

Tom gritted his teeth and began heading into the crowd. His elder brother, Armin, was standing behind the Charr. He was well within striking range, but the Charr seemed more interested in protecting himself then lashing out at his captors. "Armin!" Thomas shouted, getting his brother's attention. "Armin, what is the meaning of this!?"

"Tom?" his brother replied, seeming slightly shocked that his little brother was there. The shock didn't last long though. "Come on; join in the fun!" Thomas looked at Armin with disgust.

"It is my daughter's birthday, for Melandru's sake," he hissed. "Can't your bloody savagery wait for one day? Just one?"

The crowd was confused, and for a while seemed to calm down, their voices humming dully. Suddenly one of the women cried out, "Oh someone get that child away from it!" Tom and Armin whirled around, and saw Kia standing in front of the quivering Charr. She was petting it like one would a housecat. The beast recoiled at her touch at first, but then it reached towards her with its clawed hand.

"Kia!" Armin shouted. He drew his sword and began moving towards the Charr, but Tom blocked him with his body.

"Wait…" he said. "I want to see what he will do." The Charr didn't harm Kia; in fact it mimicked her, stroking her hair in a petting motion. Kia giggled, and there was a flicker of a smile on the young Charr's face.

"Papa, why is the kitty tied up?" asked Kia innocently. Thomas smiled and walked over to her, picking her up. The Charr followed them with its head, turning its back to the crowd. He winced as he did so, and Kia noticed. "They hurt him, Papa! Why?"

Tom looked back at the Charr. Its left leg was splayed out at an odd angle, broken. "Who did that?" he asked his brother, fury blazing in his eyes.

"One of the guards," Armin said, as if he didn't have a care in the world. "I don't see what's getting you so riled up, Tom. It's just a Charr."

Tom glared at him. "You will tell the crowd to disperse. There will be no more bloodshed today…" He set Kia down. "Why don't you go play with your cousin Deeter? I'm sure he's around here somewhere."

Kia smiled brightly and hugged her father. She then ran off to find her cousin. "Deeter! Yay!"

"Armin," Tom said, glaring at his brother. "What did this cub do to deserve all of this pain?" Armin looked taken aback. "Where did your men find him?"

"We found him north of the wall, hunting Warthogs."

"And did he even once try hurting you or your men?"

Armin looked at his younger brother. "Why does it matter to you? It's a Charr!" He pointed at the cub. "We're in the middle of a war, and you're being concerned for the welfare of this… beast?!"

"Armin, if you continue this you will be no different from them. Nay, you will be worse than the Charr." At this, Armin grabbed the collar of Thomas' shirt, lifting him into the air.

"Don't you dare compare me with one of those monsters!" he shouted, shaking him roughly. "I'm nothing like them!"

Thomas frowned. "Then you will allow me to treat his wounds. When he is well, we will release him back into the North lands…"

Armin sighed, and set his brother down. "It is the King's decision, not mine, whether the Charr will be released. But you can fix him up…"

"Thank you brother…" Tom said, turning to the Charr cub. He said something in a strange language, and the cub's four long ears perked. The ranger smiled. "You know brother, to this day I do not regret keeping out of this war."

"You changed when you met Risa, you know?" replied Armin, referring to Thomas' wife. The fact was that Tom had once been an eager cadet in the army of Ascalon, itching to face the Charr in battle. When he met Risa though… "Sometimes I think that woman was raised by the Charr."

Thomas laughed. "We'll never know. I am grateful she taught me their tongue before she left though." He pulled out a bottle of ointment and began rubbing it on the young Charr's cuts and bruises.

"Are you planning on teaching it to Kia?" asked the warrior.

Tom grinned. "I think that'd be the best thing to do. The more people know their tongue, the better we'll be able to understand their plans…"

Armin reluctantly nodded his head. "It would be easier, but how many soldiers would be willing to learn it?" Tom smiled. "If you keep going the way you are, they'll start saying you're a Charr spy," Armin joked.

His brother smirked. "I don't see why… I merely show mercy to worthy adversaries." It was true; Tom always had held a certain respect for the Charr, and as things seemed, they held a similar respect for him. "They have a name for me you know… 'Traeh Thgil'."

"And that means?" Armin asked, raising an eyebrow. The cub's ears perked again. He opened his mouth, but immediately closed it again.

Tom chuckled. "It means Heart of Light; it means that to them I have a pure heart." He smiled at his elder brother. "What do you think?"

"I think this whole thing is a crock, but if that's what they call you…"

000

Later that week, the cub sat alone in the town square. The people had grown tired of beating him, and now would simply walk by as if he wasn't even there. His more minor wounds had been healed nicely, and his leg had been set. He was still lonely though, and wanted to go home… He also missed the little human girl from before; how soft her touch had been… He'd felt like he could endure even more pain, if only to feel the child's gentle hand stroking his fur again. What had she called him? He wracked his brain for the answer. "Kitty"? Yes, that was it.

"Ki-kit-ki…" he sputtered, attempting the foreign word. "Kittay, Keetay, Kity, Kitty," he said, finally getting it right. He smiled at himself, then sneezed as a wagon rolled by. "Kitty…" he pondered. What did it mean? His thoughts were cut short by another sharp sneeze. It had rained the night before… Perhaps he'd caught a cold?

He knew his rescuer… the human who'd treated his wounds and would bring him food when the guards forgot. "Light Heart…" he muttered in his tongue. He'd heard tale of this wondrous being. A human who'd fought his people and not only would win, but would spare his opponents. The man simply refused to kill a Charr. "Why? I must ask him…" he said to himself as aforementioned "Light Heart" drew near.

"Well, Raska, it looks like the guards forgot you again," the Light Heart said, grinning. He produced a large slab of fresh meat, which Raska eyed hungrily. "I hope you like pork."

"From warthog?" Raska asked. He took the meat gingerly from the Light Heart and took a bite, tearing a small chunk away from the slab.

Light Heart smiled. "I have spoken with the Prince…" he said off hand. "He has decided to release you…"

Raska looked up at the man. "Really? They really and truly have?"

"They have," he replied. "You are to be escorted to the northern side of the wall and released. I will be going with you to ensure nothing goes wrong."

"Wrong?" Raska asked, worried. The Light Heart laughed.

"Do not worry, I assure you that nothing bad will happen," Light Heart said.

"Will the child be there?" he asked. "The little girl from before…"

"Little girl?" For a moment, Light Heart seemed confused. "Oh, Kia. She is my daughter." Raska's eyes widened. "I was not planning on taking her, but if it would make you more comfortable…"

"Yes please!" Raska said, leaning closer. He'd had no idea that the Light Heart had a cub of his own. It would be wonderful news to give the others of his tribe. "She has the eyes of my people." Tom nodded. "Kiaa… That is a Charr name."

"The name is for a human or Charr," the Light Heart replied. "I do not believe that there are names specifically for humans or your kind." Raska grinned at this. The Light Heart turned to go. "You are to be released at dawn tomorrow. Be ready."

000

The next morning, shortly before dawn, Tom and Kia made their way to Ascalon City. Kia yawned sleepily. "Papa, why are we going to the city?" she asked, not being used to being up this early. It was still dark out.

Tom smiled as he held his daughter's hand. "Your friend from before is going home today."

"The kitty?" she asked, ever curious. They reached the city gates, and Tom picked Kia up into his arms. Raska was still chained in the center of town. Kia smiled. "He's sleeping, Papa…"

Raska was indeed asleep. They approached, and watched as he slowly awoke to the world around him. His ears twitched, his tail flicked, and he yawned and stretched in the rising sun. "Good morning, Raska," Tom said.

"More ring…" the Charr said, attempting human speech. Tom smiled.

The guards showed up shortly, and unchained Raska. The cub stood, wobbling a bit on his leg. It hadn't fully healed, and Tom knew that even when it did Raska would still have a limp. The group made their way out of the city and to the gate in the wall.

Tom watched as the guards opened the gate. The three then walked through the gate and into the Northlands. Once they were far enough away, Raska turned around and bowed to them. Tom returned the favor, and little Kia reached up and gave the Charr one last hug. Raska smiled, and then turned to go. Kia waved energetically as he broke into a slow run.

Tom picked her up, "Goodbye, young Raska," he said. "Bear humanity no hatred, and go in peace… May our paths cross again," he said softly.

"Papa, where is the kitty going?" Kia asked as Raska disappeared behind a hill.

"He's going home sweetheart… He's going home…" he said, holding her close. He walked back though the gate, his little girl on his shoulders…


	2. The Day before Searing

Heart of Fire, Soul of Light

By The One True Koneko

Chapter 1: The Day before Searing

Kia Saberlin stalked through the dense underbrush of Regent Valley. She was eighteen years old as of last week, and was eager to prove her prowess as a hunter. Her target lay in her crosshairs, a fat boar that was sleeping in the sun. Her faithful companion, Rosie, crouched beside her. She nocked an arrow and crept closer.

Suddenly another arrow flew from the bushes across from her. It struck the boar, killing it. "Hey! I got it!" said an unfamiliar voice. A man, a few years older than her, walked out of the bushes to inspect his kill.

"Hey you!" Kia said irritably. "That was my boar!"

The Ranger looked up as she clambered out of her hiding spot. "Really? I don't see your name on it…" He smiled. "Besides, I've been tracking this big boy for a week, no way could you have done the same thing."

Kia was about to tell the man off, when a young girl crawled out of the bushes behind him. "Mister Rydius! You got the pig, wow… It's even bigger than I thought!"

"He's a big one alright Gwen," Rydius said. He hefted the boar onto his shoulder and began walking away, Gwen skipping after him.

Kia followed them. "Hey, wait! You can't just walk off!" she shouted after him. Rydius looked over his shoulder at her, but kept walking. "Sheesh, will you just stop for a second!?"

Rydius stopped suddenly. "Why are you following me?" he asked. Kia stopped, catching her breath. Rosie squawked indignantly at him.

"I'm following you… because I need that boar." She looked at him harshly. "My father is ill and I was going to make a stew for him."

Rydius looked at her, and a smiled danced across his face. "How about this… I'll give you some of the meat, and take the rest for myself and Gwen."

Kia didn't see much of a choice. "Very well… but I'll cut my own meat." Rydius seemed pleased with this, and set the boar down. Kia pulled out her hunting knife, and went to work. She cut a large chunk from the shoulder, carrying it gingerly in her hands. "Thanks…" she said, walking off with Rosie following.

Back at the house, Kia opened the door and went straight to the kitchen. She set the meat on the counter and headed to her father's room. "Father, I'm home!" she yelled. She opened the door to his room.

"Kia…" he said, smiling at her from his bed. "It's good to see you're home. How'd the hunting go?"

"Some idiot got the boar I'd been tracking," she complained. "Fortunately he decided to share the meat…" Tom smiled. "How do you feel?"

"Better. Perhaps I'll be able to get out for a bit and breathe in the fresh air," he said, sitting up in his bed.

Kia smiled and hugged him, unafraid of any illness. She was very resilient to diseases; she had been since childhood. With a wave of dismissal from her father, she headed back into the kitchen and began preparing the meat. She rubbed seasoning into it, and cut it up into cubes.

Once the water had come to a boil in the pot she was using, she dumped the pork in. She was about to put other ingredients in, when there was a knock at the door…

101

Rydius headed back toward Ascalon city. Gwen skipped happily behind him. "My mommy says not to bother the grownups, but they're all so nice to me. Well, most of them are anyway…" she said, and Rydius smiled.

"And I'm one of the nice ones, right Gwen?" he asked, laughing.

Gwen smiled. "Oh yes. You're my favorite person in the whole world, next to Mommy." She pulled out a small bit of fabric from under her belt. "I want you to have this," she said, handing it to him. Rydius smiled and graciously accepted the tapestry shred.

"Thank you Gwen. I won't forget your kindness," he said playfully. They laughed, Gwen's musical voice playing with his rich laughter. "You should head home now, Gwen. Your mother is probably worried sick."

"Okay!" Gwen said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mister Rydius!" she said, running home. Rydius grinned, and then walked into the city. He reached his house and carved up the boar.

Suddenly there was a knocking at his door. Rydius stood from his work and answered the door. "Yes?" A soldier of Ascalon's army stood at his door and handed him a letter before walking off, most likely with another message to deliver. "Hmm… From Rurik." he opened the letter, leaning on the door frame to read.

"Rydius of the North," he began, slightly impressed that they'd remembered his formal title. "You have been selected for a mission of utmost importance. A Charr Ranger, Vatlaaw Doomtooth, has been spotted below the wall. The data from these reports indicate that Doomtooth uses the catacombs beneath Ashford Abbey as his base of operations. You are to search the catacombs for this fiend." He read the last part and frowned, then read it again. "As you are unfamiliar with the catacombs, a guide will be provided…" He swore softly. It was probably one of those creepy Necromancers. He'd never liked Necromancers. There was just something about them that made him feel ill-at-ease.

He headed out almost immediately, leaving the boar meat in the ice chest in his house. He headed outside of Ascalon city and toward Ashford. Once he reached the abbey, he walked up to his old friend, Brother Mhenlo. Mhenlo was the same age as Rydius, and they greeted each other warmly. "Ah, Rydius… Welcome!" the Monk said. "What brings you to Ashford Abbey?"

"I've received a letter from the Prince. He has informed me of sightings of a Char Ranger south of the Wall," Rydius said.

Mhenlo looked taken aback. "A Charr Ranger south of the Wall? Rurik is right to be worried."

"The letter said that this Charr might be using the catacombs. Have you..?" he began.

"I have seen nothing, but perhaps Mistress Munne can offer you some assistance. She is much more familiar with the catacombs than I," Mhenlo said. He looked like he was about to say something else, when a young Monk girl tapped him on the shoulder. She did this with a slight difficulty, as she was rather… height impaired. Most likely she was his student. Rydius bade him farewell and headed towards the catacombs.

He figured that there was saftey in numbers, so he decided to wait outside for his guide before talking to Munne. He sat down facing the other people in the abbey, wondering if any of them could be his guide.

Finally, he'd grown tired of waiting and stood. "Ranger looking for help with Charr in the Catacombs quest!" he shouted, hoping the guide would hear him, whoever they were.

A rather young looking Monk girl, the same one that'd interupted his talk with Mhenlo, walked up to him. "You need help?" she asked in her rather birdlike voice.

"I'm waiting for a guide to look for a Charr that may be in the catacombs…" he replied.

"Yes, I know. Brother Mhenlo informed me that you were the one I was to guide," the girl informed him.

Rydius was sceptical. "YOU'RE the guide?" he asked pointing a finger at her. "But… you're a monk."

The girl seemed to falter, but only for a second. "Make no mistake. I am a trained Monk, and I know mostly healing spells and smiting spells. But I also know the catacombs like the back of my hand. I train in them daily."

Rydius smiled. "I see… Well, My name is Rydius. And your's is?" he asked, holding out his hand for the Monk to grasp.

"My name is Koneko!" she said happily. She took his rough hand and shook it. Rydius noticed how soft those tiny hands were. She probably used her healing magic to keep them that way.

"It's a pleasure," Rydius said. She reminded him of Gwen, looking so innocent. "Now, before we begin our true search, we must speak with Munne. She may know about the Charr I'm looking for."

They walked into the catacombs, and found Necromancer Munne in the old chapel. Rydius bowed deeply, and Munne did the same. "What business do you have in these catacombs?" she asked.

"The Prince has sent us to investigate the possibility of the Charr using the catacombs as a base," Rydius said, straight and to the point.

"Rurik is wise to suspect the Charr of moving through the catacombs." Munne said. "They are fraught with much danger, but if you were familiar with them they could lead you to almost any region in Ascalon." She thought for a moment, before continuing. "Seek out my associate Oberan the Reviled. He makes his home deep in the catacombs and will know if any Charr have ventured there."

101

Kia walked through the catacombs, Rosie squawking nervously by her side. "Calm down girl…" she said, patting Rosie's feathery neck. The Strider seemed to calm down, and soon they neared the reason she was in the catacombs to begin with. "Oberan!" she shouted happily, running up to the man. "You wished to see me?"

The Necromancer gave one of his rare smiles, and took Kia's hand. "Miss Kia, I did indeed summon you here," he said, kissing her hand lightly. The young Ranger grinned at his politeness.

"It's good to see you as well, my friend." Kia and Oberan had met a few years back when she'd made the foolish mistake of challenging the Skullreaver, guardian of the catacombs. The older Necromancer had saved her life that fateful day, and they'd been friends ever since. She'd even considered becoming part Necromancer herself, but at his advice had chosen against it. "So what was it you needed from me?"

Oberan motioned for her to follow him, leading her to a large room lit by candles. "I need your help performing a ritual. It shouldn't take up too much of your time," he said. "This room I have used many times, but it seems that there are Crypt Fiends that have taken up residence here recently and we can't have that."

Just then, a Crypt Fiend materialized in front of them. It stared at them for a moment with its pale yellow eyes before beginning to scurry about the room. Kia took careful aim with her bow, aiming to kill it. She released it and the arrow struck home, hitting it squarely between the eyes. It fell to the ground with a hiss, dissipating into tiny black particles as it hit. "Got 'em," Kia said.

"Well done, Kia," Oberan said. "It seems that you've improved your aim." They walked to the center of the room, where Oberan cleared away a few candles and knelt. "The ritual will not take long; just keep any Crypt Fiends that show up away from me…"

Kia nodded and nocked another arrow. It wasn't long before the place was crawling with Crypt Fiends. Kia fired like mad, killing many and wounding even more. Rosie pounced on one, driving her long beak into its chest. All of their effort attracted the Fiends to then like magnets.

Suddenly there was a shaking in the room. Large bits of stone worked loose and fell, crushing many of the Crypt Fiends. Oberan stood, his ritual complete. "We must leave for now!" he shouted to her. They began running for the exit of the room, but one of the Fiends jumped onto Oberan's back. He let loose a burst of energy, sending the Fiend flying back into another one. They ran out, and back to Oberan's usual spot.

Kia was the first to speak. "What were you trying to do anyway?" she asked, sitting down in the soft earth of the catacombs. The Necromancer sat next to her, his beathing slightly labored.

"I was increasing my necromantic powers…" he replied after a bit of silence. "See, you would need to do that too if you where a Necromancer…"

Kia shrugged. "I wouldn't have minded. I know that I'd have a good teacher," she said, smiling at him. She then noticed that there was a cut where the Fiend had gotten ahold of him. "Oberan, do you want me to heal that?" she asked, touching his shoulder near the wound.

Oberan flinched, and was about to ask her something when they heard voices coming from the direction they'd just come from. "It's this way…" said a birdlike female voice.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" the familiar voice of a certain Ranger said. There was a huff of annoyance from the girl as the two rounded the corner. Rydius looked up and saw Kia almost immediatley.

"Hey! You're that guy who that little girl was following!" she said, standing. "What are you doing here in the catacombs?" she asked out of her own curious nature.

"I should ask you the same thing," he replied. "I'm looking for an Oberan the Reviled." At this, Oberan stood.

He bowed deedply to the Ranger. "I am Oberan the Reviled. Curses are my specialty. What do you need?"

"We've been sent to investigate rumors that a Charr Ranger named Vatlaaw Doomtooth has been using the catacombs as his lair," Rydius stated. "If you were to know anything, it would be a great help."

Oberan nodded. "You come here seeking Charr? You were wise to seek out Oberan, for no creature, be they living or dead, moves through here without my knowledge."

"Great. So you know where it is?" Rydius asked. Oberan nodded again.

"This Charr that you seek comes often to the underground, but he does not make his lair here. The spirits of this place would not tolerate him should he seek to take up residence." He walked over to his bag that was laying of the ground. He fished out what appeared to be a severed Charr ear and closed the bag. "If you require proof of his presence, take this... it's a token he left behind during one of his encounters with the denizens of this place." He handed the shriveled ear to Rydius, who took it looking just a bit disgusted. "Now then, leave me to my studies. Return to the world of light."

"Er… Thank you for your assistance," Rydius said. He and the young Monk acompanying him turned and walked away.

"I should get going too, Oberan…" Kia said. "My father must be wandering where I am." She pulled out a covered bowl from her backpack. "Here, I made this stew. There's plenty back home, so enjoy it."

Oberan took the bowl, waiting 'till Kia and Rosie had left before sitting down and enjoying his meal…


End file.
